STRESSERTOIRE: Managing stress with Kauai Juice Company

STRESSERTOIRE: Managing Stress with Kauai Juice Company

If you've ever visited Kauai'i, you've probably seen the visiting, local, and native population walking around with clear glass bottles filled with rainbow colored liquids in the form of cold-pressed juice, leveled-up plant milks, and tonic elixirs. Or, kraut juice if you're like us. Rest easy because it's all 100% Kauai-grown produce that goes into the cornucopia created by Kristal Muhich known as Kauai Juice Company.

Nine years running, the brilliant and progressive mind behind KJC has got her sure-to-present itself stress management down to a science. Just because we live in paradise, doesn't mean our nervous system doesn't react the same as someone punching 80+ hours a week in NYC without proper ammo. Stress is inevitable, the magic is in the management - and it's different for everyone. We're just happy she includes LAKA in her daily "stressertoire". Here's how she manages.

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LAKA:

Running a Kauai-based Juice Mecca sounds like the healthiest gig on the planet - but you must run into daily pitfalls just as any entrepreneur. What daily rituals do you include as a staple foundation for maintaining fluidity? Morning rituals? Nightly rituals?

KRISTAL:

Waking up without an alarm clock is a must. I go to bed around 830 so i naturally wake up around 4am. it's the absolute best. I'm able to drink massive amounts of water, stretch, meditate, water my plants, and get all my food ready all before 7 am. as a morning ritual i absolutely must drink water first thing, after doing this for years I've built up to drinking a half gallon before I consume anything else, and it feels great. other rituals I do is a weekly pedicure ( because you must take care of your feet ) and facials once a month. it seems extravagant but your feet and face are such an important part of your daily life, it's important to take care of them. and obviously I drink as much juice and bone broth as I can each day. as for a night time ritual, I'd like to say I'm all fancy and do a 12 step serum program, light candles and float to bed on my positive energy. but usually I'm exhausted. while I never skip a night time face/body washing with natural products, the healthiest night time ritual I've found is simply flossing. don't skip the floss people. after my good floss, I wash my feet (usually for a second time) and lay down with massive gratitude for my life and loved ones.

What kinds of stress do you tend to target the most?

I find I'm most imbalanced with my emotions and libido when I am stressed. these days I do the best I can do to start recognizing the oncoming symptoms so that I can change my course before I essentially hit rock bottom with it and have to dig my way out of it. it's been a constant learning lesson over the past 9 years since I've started the company.

Can you share any symptoms that you have noticed over the course of building Kauai Juice Co that are likely linked to stress?

It seems everything that has happened that isn't positive I can trace back to stress. stress is such a silent killer, and the scariest thing is you never realize you're in the middle of it until you are far past the middle! it sneaks up on you. symptoms being addiction, weight gain, negativity, mood swings, digestion problems, and depression. stress will destroy you if you let it. all of these things I've experienced from starting my company and it's all due to overwork and stress. it's never worth it, and only in the past 2 years have a really been able to step back and not take on 'stress' - I'm finally getting back to myself. I wish it didn't take me so long. but I try not to be so hard on myself and I try to talk to myself like I would talk to a good friend.

When supplementing with Adaptogens, if at all, what your preferred medium? (Supplement, powder, butter, tincture)

Tinctures are amazing. I take them in the morning with my water a lot of times. I know for absorption it might not be ideal, but the effects have worked on me just taking them that way and then I don't have to think about it as much the rest of the day. I love the butters, and I always reach for your butters for mid day spoonful snacks or add to my salads. they are life savers! and if I ever have a nut milk during the day I always add powder to my milks.

Describe your anti-stress mindset. What quality of thought allows you to stay centered in your efforts and below that fight-or-flight threshold?

The truth is I rely on my husband and friends a lot for my anti stress mind set. it's really important to stay close to family, when you are stressed out you have to ground yourself and remember what it's all for anyway. and that always goes back to family for me.

The best advice you've ever received.

There's no way I could answer this! so much good advice out there. but here's a quote I keep hanging in my office - ' learn to rest, not to quit ' - banksy.